Almost Never Always
by SomethingAboutAllison
Summary: See, this isn't just any ordinary box of junk. When Austin and I broke up after three years, this is where I put all of the things that reminded me of him. So I wouldn't have to look at them every day. Or ever. But right now I want to look at everything. I want to relive everything. I want to relive us. *Auslly*
1. Intro

**A/N: Hi. I don't know where I'm going with this, but it'll be good. Here's the intro.**

* * *

I shouldn't. I really shouldn't. I know I shouldn't.

But I do.

I walk over to my closet and throw the door open. I dig through a pile of clothes and shoes until I find it.

The box.

It's just a shoebox. I guess that's really all it is. I've wrapped it in plain white wrapping paper that I've written all over. Words like _stop_ and _no_ and _don't. _I wrapped the box with the hope that maybe somewhere along the lines of tearing it open, I'd realize that it's a bad idea to open it and I'd just walk away. That's not happening.

See, this isn't just any ordinary box of junk. When Austin and I broke up after three years, this is where I put all of the things that reminded me of him. So I wouldn't have to look at them every day. Or ever. But right now I want to look at everything. I want to relive every precious moment I spent with him. Because the breakup was two months ago, and the initial shock and freedom is wearing off. Now I'm just lonely. And I need to take a second to breathe and remember what it's like to be loved.

I finish off the paper. I hold my breath as I lift the lid off the box. Immediately I'm inundated with memories. Different objects catch my eye and flash images into my mind. I'm starting to feel. I know I'm breaking down. The floodgates are opening, and all the memories I've been pushing aside rush back. I'm remembering Austin as a person, as a whole. As deep brown eyes and messy blonde hair and tanned skin. As a cute tenor and a sweet boyfriend. As whispers and hair flips and crooked smiles. I shouldn't be doing this, but I am. I'm remembering him.

I stare into the box blankly for just a moment. I don't really know where to start, so I start at the beginning and sort through the items. I take one out, and the memories come back, all as clear as day.


	2. A Bottle Cap

**A/N: Hello there. So these will not necessarily be in chronological order. It's just Ally going through the items in the box. I'll try to work in an actual story/plot though. I'm excited about this idea because I feel like I have a lot of freedom with it. Enjoy. **

* * *

A Bottle Cap

"I need to wake up," Austin declares as he rises from his chair. It's a Tuesday evening, and Austin, Trish, Dez and I are sitting in Austin's kitchen attempting to study for our biology test. It's not working out too well.

"How?" I ask. He holds up a finger as to say 'hold on' and walks out to his garage. He reappears with four glass bottles of Coke.

"Dude, those are awesome. So classy," Dez says, admiring the green glass bottle.

"I know. They're the best," Austin says with a grin and a nod. He looks at me, then hands me a bottle. "For you, my lady," he drawls over dramatically.

I chuckle and stare at him for a moment. He's so cute, his blonde hair flopping everywhere. He opens the bottle for me and I take a sip of the cold soda.

"These little bottle caps are so cute!" Trish remarks, admiring the tiny, logo-bearing red disc.

"They are," I say. I slip mine into my pocket. I don't know why, but I just want to keep it. It's so cool, plus it's from Austin.

I glance over at him, and he's taking a swig of pop. He's so attractive, with his plump pink lips curled around the bottle and his strong hands holding it by the neck.

I quickly look away and take a passive sip of Coke before returning to my biology book. I stare absently at the pages while Dez and Trish argue about whether it's 'pop' or 'soda.'

"Whatever. It's 'pop', but that doesn't even matter. What matters is that I know all the test material and now I want to do something fun," Trish declares.

"Hey I know! Guys, follow me!" Austin says as he springs up from the table, glass bottle in hand. He scrambles up the stairs and we follow him up. He leads us into his room, then out to his balcony.

"What are we up here for?" Dez asks, looking around.

"For this," Austin says. He goes over to his bathroom sink and fills his empty glass Coke bottle up most of the way with water. He fills the rest up with watercolor paint. He puts his palm over the lip of the bottle and shakes it up.

"What are you going to do with that?" Trish asks, her eyes as wide as saucers. Austin laughs.

"I'm going to do this," he explains vaguely.

And he dumps it off the balcony.

The blue colored paint is watered down enough that it splashes. It runs down the driveway and into the street, spreading out and trailing off like branches sprouting off a tree. It's awesome. It's beautiful.

We all grab water and paint and fill our empty Coke bottles. I take yellow, Trish grabs purple, and Dez opts for green. Austin refills his with pink.

"On the count of three!" Trish says as we all stand on the balcony with our bottles of paint in hand.

"One...

Two...

Three!"

We dump the bottles all together, and they run down the driveway, mixing and running together into the street. It looks amazing, and it feels good too. I feel so light when I look at all the colors, like everything's as simple as a river of paint.

"That's awesome!" Dez yells, admiring the tie-dye driveway. I laugh and smile, looking down at the colors.

"This is such a cool idea. Thanks Austin," I say, looking over at him. He grins and nods.

"Sure thing," he says, putting his arm around my shoulders for a moment. A goofy grin spreads across my face, and it stays there. I touch my pocket and feel the bottle cap, still inside.

The sun is setting and reflecting off the wet paint river on the driveway. It's perfect. It's the most perfect thing I've ever seen. A Coke bottle paint rainbow driveway at sunset. It's perfect.


	3. A Portal Pin

A Portal Pin

"Hey, shoot an orange one right there," Austin commands. We're in his basement playing Portal 2 on his Xbox. I'm usually not into video games - they're usually too gory and scary - but I really like Portal 2. It's a puzzle game, plus it revolves around science, my favorite school subject. Even though Austin insists my favorite school subject is 'lame stuff.'

"Got it," I say as I shoot an orange portal where Austin requested it. He jumps through the portal, pushes the button, and we complete the challenge.

"Yes!" he exclaims. I smile.

"That level was easy. I knew the solution the whole time," I joke. He rolls his eyes.

"Oh yes, of course, the superior intelligence of Allyson Dawson," he says derisively.

I chuckle. We're just starting the next level when I spot something on his TV stand. "What are those?" I ask as I walk over and grab the objects that caught my attention.

"They're buttons. That you can pin to stuff. I put them on my guitar straps," he says as I look at them. They're little round buttons bearing logos and characters from Portal 2.

"That's massively cool," I say, admiring one of them. It has a picture of GLaDOS, one of the characters, in potato form. It's awesome. "Can I keep this one?" I ask, turning to him.

He raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. "No. No you may not," he deadpans.

I roll my eyes. "Fine, be that way." I sit back down and we continue playing the game. About twenty minutes later, I get a text from my dad. I read it_. Honey, time to come home!_

"Ugh, I gotta go, I'll see you later!" I say as I leave.

"Bye Ally!" he calls as I leave his basement.

As I'm walking home, I realize that we were playing on my copy of Portal 2, and I neglected to take it. Oh well. I can get it from him later.

At school the next day, I find him. "Hey, did you bring me back my game?" I ask as I walk up to him.

He hands me the box. "Yup, here it is. You should open it though," he says. From his tone, I know he's up to something.

I furrow my eyebrows at him. "You probably trolled me and gave me back the box without the game," I say as I open it. But lo and behold, the game is there. But that's not all that's in there; tucked in the corner of the box is the pin. The one of GLaDOS as a potato.

I look at him and smile. "I thought you said I couldn't have this," I giggle.

He puts his hands in his pockets and shrugs. "I have three more. Plus, you earned it. You're getting pretty good at Portal 2." He grins.

"Thanks," I say as I attach the pin to my backpack strap. We smile at each other, and the five-minute bell rings.

"I should go, my class is all the way on the other side of the school," he says.

I nod. "See you later!" I call before I walk towards my first period classroom. I look down at the pin on my backpack strap and smile. I know it's just a little pin, but I can't help but think it's more than that. Whatever it means, it has me walking down the hallway smiling. And that's definitely more than just a little pin.


	4. A Gum Wrapper

"This is boring," I state. Austin and I are at our high school's boys basketball game. I don't particularly understand anything that's going on, and I don't want to. Parents yell at refs, boys slam into each other, referees blow whistles, buzzers scream. It's not quite my idea of fun.

"Come on, Ally, we're winning! Have some school spirit!" Austin says, nudging me with his elbow.

I roll my eyes. "Can we please leave once the third quarter is done?" I reason.

He sticks out his lower lip in a pouty face, then gives in. "Fine. We'll leave," he acquiesces. There's only a few minutes left in the third quarter, and they pass relatively quickly. As soon as the buzzer sounds, I look over at Austin and we make our way off the crowded bleachers.

As we're walking out, I spot something. It's a door near the locker room doors, and it's open. I don't recognize the door, and I don't know where it goes, but I'm intrigued by it. As I walk by it, I slow down and stop.

"What's the hold up? I thought you wanted to go," Austin says just a little snappily.

I point to the door. "Let's go in!" I exclaim. I'm not usually one to take chances, break rules, or go through shady open doors, but this just seems like it could be fun.

Austin gives me a weird look, then shakes his head. "Whatever, Ally," he chuckles. We walk through the door, and it's dark. I find a light switch on the wall and it activates strings of maintenance lights.

We're under the bleachers.

It's a jungle of metal bars and support beams. There are beams sticking out everywhere, forming intricate patterns and little doorways. The floor is shiny hardwood, just like out on the basketball court. It's darker and quieter than up above, but you can see feet move and hear kids yell, just to remind you that there's still a game up there.

"This place...is awesome," I breathe. It is. It's such a cool place. I take a few steps forward and enter the strange room. I make my way through the cross-sections of metal beams. I turn around and beckon Austin in. He almost looks hesitant, which strikes me because usually this would be the other way around. Usually, he'd be the one venturing out and I'd be the one hanging behind.

We walk a few feet and arrive at a point that I think is probably half-court. I can see light coming from a crack where the bottom of the bleachers meet the floor. I can see shadows moving around. I lower myself down and lay on my stomach to peek out.

Austin lays down on his stomach next to me. "This is your idea of fun?" he asks with playful derision.

I laugh. "Hey, you have to admit this place is pretty cool. It's like a little secret hideout," I muse, looking around.

"Or a rape cave," he deadpans.

I look at him, then hit him in the arm. "You're a freak."

"You're the one who ventured into the shady unknown room under the bleachers," he retorts.

"Point taken," I acquiesce. We're quiet for a while, listening to the sounds coming from the people in the stands and the players on the court. I'm laying on my stomach and I feel something in the front-right pocket of my skinny jeans. I reach in and pull out two pieces of Double Bubble gum.

"Ooh! I want one!" Austin exclaims, snatching a piece of pink gum out of my palm. I giggle.

"Whatever, Austin," I say. I unwrap the gum and pop it into my mouth. He does the same, and throws the wrapper on the floor.

"Austin!" I gasp, "You can't just _litter_ that! It's bad enough that we're down here, you can't just break _rules of common courtesy_!"

He cackles at me. "Oh relax, Ally. Don't think of it as littering. We're leaving behind our legacy for everyone else to find," he explains with a self-assured nod.

I roll my eyes. "Legacy. Sure. I prefer being a good citizen over leaving a 'legacy,'" I say, tucking the gum wrapper into my pocket to throw away later.

I don't throw it away though. Because sitting under the bleachers talking and blowing bubble gum bubbles with Austin is hilariously fun, especially once it gets late and we're too tired to be rational. Once people clear out of the gym, we wait by the door and then slip out, joining the crowd that's exiting the gym.

Austin drives me home and gives me a sweet, awkward hug over the center console before I get out of his car and walk inside. I float upstairs and get ready for a shower. As I pull off my jeans, I smile as I find the gum wrapper still in my pocket. Austin's words drift into my mind. _Our legacy._

I smile.

_For everyone else to find._


	5. A Guitar Pick

"Hey superstar," I say with a grin as I walk into Austin's dressing room. He just played an amazing set at the Swamp Blast concert in the Everglades. It was broadcasted live all over the country, and I knew all his fans would tune in to watch him.

"Hey, what did you think?" he asks, beaming. His wide brown eyes glimmer.

I giggle. "You were amazing. They loved you," I say, walking towards him with my arms open for a hug. He pulls me close to his chest in a tight, engulfing hug.

"Well I never would've been able to do this without you. You're my songwriter, my partner, and my best friend. And I want you to have this," Austin says sweetly. He holds out his hand.

A necklace.

This isn't just any necklace though. The cord is silver and on the end is a little green triangle of plastic. His lucky guitar pick.

I look at him with a wide smile. "Austin...this is your lucky guitar pick. It's your favorite one, I can't take it from you," I protest gently.

He snakes his head and smiles. "That's exactly why I want you to have it. Remember when the mall pond got torn down and you couldn't see your goose Pickles anymore? And you said I was your goose? It's kind of like that. I have your amazing songs and friendship, so I don't need luck," he explains, his brown eyes lighting up. He smiles genuinely, and I wrap my arms around him, pulling him tight against me.

"Thank you, Austin, so much. That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me," I muse quietly.

"Believe me, it's fine. Now here. Let me put this on you," he suggests. I turn around and push my curly brunette hair out of the way. He reaches around to lay the necklace on my chest and clasps it. My breath involuntarily hitches as his hands touch the back of my neck, but he ignores it. When it's hooked on correctly, he takes my shoulders and gently spins me back around to face him.

"It's perfect," I remark, looking down and holding the guitar pick in my palm.

He grins. "You're amazing, Ally," he says. I blush gently and wrap my arms around him.

"So are you, Austin," I whisper, and that's all I need to say. I swear I feel his lips brush against the top of my head in some attempt at a kiss, and my heart flutters a little. My fingers reach up and find the guitar pick necklace and I smile, knowing I'm his new lucky charm instead.


	6. A Rose Petal

**A/N: So this might be a little bit based on a true story. Yay for drawing inspiration from my life. **

* * *

_BOOM!_

I'm sitting in calculus, but all I can focus on is the massive late-February thunderstorm outside. Living in Miami, rain isn't a super-normal occurances, and it's actually pretty scary.

I've finished the homework problems, and now I have nothing to do. I take out my book of Emily Dickinson poetry and read absently for a while. I'm skimming through lines of nature poetry when my principal, Mr. Conley, walks into the classroom. This isn't an unusual occurrence; Mr. Conley likes to walk around checking in on teachers. But his face is so serious that I can't help but think something is up.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but can I see Ally Dawson for just a second?" he demands. My calculus teacher nods and motions for me to go. I get the 'in-trouble' feeling in the pit of my stomach and my mind races through all the bad things I've ever done in my life. I nervously rise to follow my principle.

He smiles warmly. "Don't look so nervous, champ, you didn't do anything wrong. I just have something to talk to you about," he assures me, and I feel better. We quietly walk to the main office, then back down a hallways to his personal office.

"Come on in, right here," he says as he holds the door open for me. I nod and walk in. I look around the office and notice that his black wheeled office chair is turned around so the back is facing me. I find this strange. What's stranger is that Mr. Conley seems to have vanished. I'm slightly confused. And I'm even more confused when his office chair turns around to reveal a smiling, familiar face.

Austin.

It's Austin.

He's dressed in a purple button-down shirt and holding a bouquet of roses.

"Ally, will you go to prom with me?"

I freeze. The first thought that pops into my head is that this is a sick, terrible joke. I've had a huge crush on Austin since the moment I met him, but I never said anything because I didn't think he'd feel the same way. But here we are. His brown eyes sparkle and I swear he looks like he's about to cry.

"I...prom?" I sputter. He smiles and nods, rising from the chair and walking over to hand me the roses. I smile widely and accept them.

"So, what do you say?" he asks. The smirk on his face is priceless. It's cute, cocky, sweet, and very signaturely Austin.

I nod. "I'd love to go to prom with you," I answer, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiles and squeezes me, holding me close and swaying. He tightens his grip around my waist, and I don't even know what to do but hold him.

"I'm really glad you said yes," he mutters into my hair. I beam.

"Of course I said yes, you big goof," I respond with a laugh. He chuckles and kisses my head. He pulls away just enough that I can lock eyes with them, and I've never seen them shine so much. He looks happy, and that's amazing. That's perfect.

We walk out of Mr. Conley's office grinning. He's standing outside the door with a wide smirk.

"Thanks for helping me out with that, Mr. Conley," Austin says genuinely as we leave.

He smiles. "Not a problem. Congratulations," he remarks as he retreats back into his office.

I lean my nose down to smell my roses. They're beautiful. If I didn't have them as physical evidence, I'd doubt that any of that had even happened. For all I know, it could've been just another one of my Austin fantasies.

He walks me back to calculus, even though it's out of his way. "Thank you, Austin," I say as we reach the door of my classroom. I'm not totally sure what I'm thanking him for, but I just feel like I owe him everything.

He smiles genuinely and takes my hand in his. "It's my pleasure, Ally," he replies sweetly. He kisses my cheek softly before waving goodbye and turning to leave. I stand in the hallway and watch him walk away for just a moment before I step back into my calculus classroom.

"Oooh! Who are those from?" Trish gushes, alluding to the roses.

"Austin...Austin just asked me to prom!" I exclaim as I take my seat. For a second her face is blank with shock, but then she smiles widely.

"Gah! I knew he liked you!" she crows as she leans over to give me a hug and smell the roses I'm holding. I giggle and lean down to take in their sweet scent too. Fresh-cut flowers smell like corsages and centerpieces and fancy occasions. I'm proud as I hold them, and I'm beaming as I recount the story to a few of the girls in my calculus class.

The rest of the class passes quickly, and I'm one hundred percent sure that I'm still blushing. As I stare out the window, I watch the rain. It's calmed down a little, and it's not so scary anymore. Maybe it's just because I'm in such a great mood, but for a while it seems like the rain stops entirely. Like the sun comes out just for me. I can't focus for the whole rest of day. My head is full of dresses and tuxedos and flowers and most of all, Austin. Because he really, truely, likes me. And the roses in my hands are all the proof I need.


	7. An Ice Cream Cone Wrapper

I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't want to see anyone. I don't want to write anything. I don't want to move. I don't want to breathe. I just want to sit under these bleachers for the rest of my life.

To call it an 'awful day' would be a massive understatement. There are no clichés strong enough to convey exactly how wrong things went. It was my perfect idea of a shittastic day.

To start off, I woke up late and only had ten minutes to get ready. I waltzed into school with an oversized Disney World sweatshirt, black leggings, one navy flat and one black flat. I was surprised by a pop quiz in history that I totally bombed - I missed at _least_ four questions out of twenty. At lunch, I didn't have any money, so I had to mooch food off my friends. I barely ate anything. Plus, when I managed to steal _one_ French fry, I managed to drip ketchup on my shirt.

The school day dragged on ad finally ended. Now I'm sitting under the bleachers waiting for some of the traffic to clear out before I can get my car and leave school. I'm filtering through some AP American Literature homework when I see someone start to approach me. I look up, and it's Austin.

"Rough day?" he asks, concern in his eyes. I nod.

"Rough day," I reply simply. He takes a step closer.

"I brought you something," he says with a small smile. It's an ice cream cone. Fruity mint swirl.

I smile lightly. "My favorite," I say. I reach out and grab the cone from his hand.

He nods. "I figured that when girls are upset they usually turn to ice cream," he explains with a small smile. I laugh, and I realize that it's the first time I'vs laughed all day. It feels good. I take a lick of ice cream and feel instantly better.

"Thank you, Austin," I say waveringly. He smiles genuinely and sits down next to me.

"No problem. Now, do you want to talk about it?" he asks sweetly. I nod and tell him every awful detail of my tragic day, and we actually laugh about it. He makes fun of me, but not so much that I feel worse. In fact, it helps. I take a mental note than I need to laugh at myself more often. After I'm done recounting my story to Austin, I feel a lot better.

"Thank you, Austin. For listening. And for the ice cream," I giggle once I've finished my story. He scoots closer to me and wraps his arms around me.

"No problem, Als. That's what best friends are for." He keeps his arm around me for a while. He distracts me by telling me a really funny story about his chemistry teacher losing the tests so they didn't have to take them. I finish my ice cream, and since I can't find a trash can, I just stick the paper wrapper from the bottom of the cone in my pocket.

"We all have shitty days, Ally. But you'll go home, do your homework, watch a movie, take a long shower, and go to bed, then you'll wake up tomorrow and it'll be like it never happened. Okay?" he advises. His eyes are deep brown sincerity, and they make me melt, just a little.

"That sounds great," I sigh. He gives me a hug and helps me up off the ground.

"Need a ride?" he asks. His tone is so genuine and helpful, like he really cares about how I'm doing.

I smile. "I'm fine. Thanks for the offer though," I reply. He nods.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ally. Have a not-so-crappy rest of your day." He laughs as he splits off and starts walking towards his car.

I smile as I start walking home. At least one thing went right today.

* * *

**A/N: AUSLLY HAPPENED FOR REAL ON THE SHOW LIFE MADE OKAY BYE.**

**Sorry this is embarrassingly short. Oh well. Big stuff coming for Like We're 15 Again soon, so stay tuned for that. **


	8. An Amusement Park Pass

**A/N: Keep in mind these entries are non-linear, so they're kind of in no particular order. :)**

* * *

"I forgot, I don't want to be an actress!" Kira yells quickly as she hurries out of the amusement park, disgusted at Austin's drooling problem. I can't help but feel happy; seeing Austin kiss some other girl would kill me. The second she's gone, Austin unhooks his drool tube and smiles.

"Phew! She's gone!" he says to himself. He gets off the Tubs of Fun Ride and runs over to Dez, Trish, and I. Dez is smiling.

"Well, at least that's over," the redhead says, sounding relieved.

Austin smiles, but then his face drops. "Wait, who's gonna play the girlfriend in the video now?" he says as he realizes that they just lost an integral part of the video.

Dez looks around, then his face lights up like he just had a brilliant idea."Hey, why doesn't Ally do it?" he suggests.

I freeze.

To the average hired actress, kissing Austin would be fun. It's be nice. A perfectly good job, to flirt with and kiss a hot singer like Austin in front of a camera. But to me? I don't even know. I've had a huge crush on Austin ever since I could remember. The thought of kissing him fills me with butterflies and makes me feel like I could float away right there.

Austin nods and smiles. "As long as she eats a mint first," he says. I laugh awkwardly and try to hide the fact that I'm massively scared.

We make eye contact as we get into the bucket of the ride. I smile nervously. Austin puts his hand on hers. "Don't be nervous, Ally. It's just a stage kiss. It doesn't mean anything if you don't want it to," he assures her. I nod, even though his comment only makes me more nervous.

"Alright, you're two kids in love and you're kissing. Action!" Dez yells. I'm actually, physically shaking as Dez starts rolling. There are a few moments of silence, of nothing, of Austin and I locking brown eyes before we move in. He tilts his head just slightly. And just like that, we're kissing.

It's not a stage kiss. It's the farthest thing from a stage kiss that I could ever imagine. It was the most real gesture we could ask for. My eyes are closed. My hands are tangling in his messy blonde hair while he holds me close, rubbing my back. Strangely, I'm not nervous. It' my first kiss, and I can feel eyes on me, but I know they don't matter. It's just Austin and I in our own little world. Dez is yelling "Cut! Cut!" but we don't pay him any mind because we're just too damn busy _kissing_. Our lips fit together perfectly, moving in sync. He opens his mouth first, and now it's more, because we're making out, right there.

And it's not a stage kiss. Not even one bit.

We stop kissing, but we don't pull away. We linger there, noses still pressed together and hands still tangled in hair. We lock eyes.

"Austin..." I manage breathlessly. He smiles.

"Ally," he whispers. My name is slow and sexy as it flows out of his lips. Our lips brush together again, and then crush against each other, my soft chest pressing gently into his firm one. His strong hands caress my back. He holds me for a while, spilling soft kisses into my curly hair. We both simultaneously realize where we are and pull back.

"Was that good?" Austin asks as he turns and faces Dez. It's almost sarcastic, because it's so obvious how damn _good_ it was.

"You two...that was great! So real! I felt your emotion!" Dez explains.

Austin turns to me wearing a goofy yet somehow deadly serious grin. "I felt it too," he remarks, placing his hand on top of mine. Butterflies erupt inside of me.

Dez gave an enthusiastic clap. "Now let's shoot the rest of this video!" he shouts through the megaphone.

Before getting off the ride, Austin pecks my cheek again. I turn and smile at him. "What was that for?" I ask playfully.

He grins. "Just because," he whispers. He pauses, takes a breath, and continues. "I'm really excited to shoot the rest of this video with you."

I shake me head vigorously. "Me neither," I agree. He takes me by the hand and helps me off the ride and back onto the ground.

I think I'm _still_ dizzy from that kiss.


	9. A Seashell

"One, two three!"

I laugh heartily as Austin and I jump through the breezy ocean waves. It's summer, and we cleared out a spot at the crowded beach to wave-jump. Though I'm notorious for not loving the beach, wave-jumping with Austin is an activity I could get used to.

"Watch out, here comes a huge one!" he warns, yelling like a kid. He grabs my hands and we jump as high as we can. I make it past, but Austin gets swept under the water. I laugh, and he emerges laughing too.

"You alright there, pop star?" I ask, and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm fine, thanks, but I could do without the sarcasm," he mentions before elbowing me and continuing to jump the waves. After a while, we decide to get out of the water and walk down the beach.

"When I was a kid I used to love seashells," I blurt out as my eyes catch a few tucked under the surface of the sand. It occurs to me how random that remark is. Austin goes with it though.

"Me too. I used to have a giant jar and collect them," he muses. I look at him, his wild blonde hair and tan, muscular arms.

"I wouldn't peg you as much of a seashell collector," I chuckle. He grins.

"Nah. When I was a kid, I loved them." He squats down and sifts through the wet sand for a moment before formulating a tiny, perfect conch shell.

"Woah," I whisper. He drops the shell into my palm, and I wrap my hand around it. I brush sand out of the tiny spiral. "It's perfect," I muse.

He grins. "I have a knack for finding perfect shells." He stops for a moment, then adds, "for perfect girls." I look up at him with a goofy-yet-genuine smile painted across my face.

"Thank you, Austin," I whisper quietly. I wrap my arms around him, pressing his warm, bare chest to my bikini-clad one.

"No problem," he murmurs into my ocean-misted hair. I can feel his smile pressed up against the side of my head, nuzzling into my neck. I shiver.

"I'm going to go put this in my bag," I tell him, opening the palm that holds the conch shell. He smiles and gives a permissive nod, and I run up the beach to where my bag is. The sun is warm - too warm, it's burning my feet, so I run fast. I slip the tiny shell into my beach bag and sprint back to the oceanfront. My feet hit the cool, wet, darker sand, and I let the high tide bury them a little.

"Come back in the water with me!" Austin exclaims, taking my hand and running out back into the water. I shriek with laughter as the cold waves lap over my legs.

Austin and I stay at the beach until sunset, splashing in the waves and walking along the tide line. When the sun sets, we lay down on a towel and watch it together. We start out just sitting next to each other innocently, but one thing leads to another and eventually we end up laying on the blanket in each other's arms. I'm not complaining, though. Not at all.

"Beautiful sunset," I remark. He repositions his arms around me and kisses the side of my head.

"Absolutely gorgeous," he agrees. I look up at him, his tan face bathed in warm pink light. His full lips are curved upwards into a closed smile. His brown eyes sparkle in the little light remaining in the sky. I can't help but lean forward and peck a kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" he inquires lazily. I smile.

"Just because...because I love you," I whisper. It's the first time I've ever told him that I love him. But I do, so much.

He closes his eyes for a moment before grinning wildly. "I love you too, Ally Dawson, more than you know." His lips crash down onto mine with more force than I was expecting. I'm tense at first, but his strong hands rub my back and I melt into the kiss.

We lay next to each other, brown eyes locked and timid lips close. I'm glad I told him that I love him. Because I do, with everything I have.


	10. A Bottle of Pink Nail Polish (RATED M)

**A/N: This is definitely rated M. Just a fair warning. ;P**

**I'M SORRY FOR MY GIANT ACCIDENTAL HIATUS! I was slammed with finals, and crazy things have been happening. However, I promise I will get back on here regularly :) **

* * *

"So, what do you want to do today?" Austin asks as we pull out of my driveway. I love having a boyfriend who can drive. He has this really nice blue BMW that suits him perfectly. He always has the windows down, the sunroof open, music playing though the speakers, and me in the passenger seat. It's a Saturday, and we're spending the day together.

"We could always go to your house and make fun of sappy romance movies," I suggest. Austin and I have a weird habit of scrolling through Netflix and picking awful movies on purpose, just for the sake of making fun of them and thinking up ridiculous alternate endings.

Austin smiles and nods. "Sounds like a plan," he says, pulling onto the main road and driving towards his house. I find the little cord to hook my phone up to his car speakers. He lets me play my music in his car, and I think that's great. I put on some Mayday Parade and we talk as he drives.

We pull up to Austin's house, a tall white colonial with dark green shutters. He comes around and opens the car door for me. I smile and thank him, and we walk inside.

"I'm home," Austin calls to his parents, but there's no reply. He furrows his eyebrows. "Mom?" He wanders into the kitchen, and I follow him. There's a note on the kitchen table, and he reads it out loud.

'Will be back by seven. Work emergency. Love you. Mom & Dad.'

After reading the note, Austin looks over at me and shrugs. "You mind that we have the house to ourselves?" he asks casually.

I smile and shake my head. "That's fine," I say. He smiles and we go upstairs to his room where his TV is. We sit on his bed, backs pressed up against the headboard, which we cover with pillows.

I can help but feel a little weird, alone in Austin's house. I mean, it's happened before when we were friends, but never while we were dating. Though we've only been dating for about a month. Maybe it's because he's my first boyfriend, but I'm still adjusting.

"What do you want to watch?" he asks, breaking my train of thought as he logs into Netflix. I shrug, and he hands me the remote so I can look through the movies. I stare blankly at the screen, scrolling through thumbnails.

"Here," Austin offers, sitting Indian style behind me on the bed. I feel his strong hands start to rub my neck. I smile.

"Thanks," I say as he continues rubbing my neck, back, and shoulders. As I'm sitting there, I feel Austin move closer to me. He repositions himself so he's not behind me, but beside me. His full pink lips brush against my cheek, then move to suck gently on my earlobe. I'm not sure why, but this feels amazing. His breath is warm and his tongue is soft. I close my eyes and exhale fully, enjoying the sensation of his mouth on my skin. I think about protesting, but I can't bring myself too. Austin Moon is simply too hot.

He pulls his lips away and pulls my chin towards him so he can look at me. "Ally..." he breathes in a husky whisper.

"Austin..." I reply timidly. He smiles devilishly and kisses me. His lips are soft but with a certain strength, and he wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer into him.

His fingers play with the hem of my shirt as we kiss, and I suck in a shallow breath. His lips move down to my cheek, my neck, and suck on my earlobe, an action that sends shivers down my spine. His hands move under my shirt and run up and down the smooth skin of my stomach for a while before he pulls it over my head.

He admires my body for a moment before he presses gentle kisses against my exposed collarbone. "You okay?" he asks softly as his lips head south. I close my eyes and nod gently; it's the only response I can think of.

I pull my body away from his only long enough to tug desperately at his shirt. He nods and allows me to pull the garment over his head, revealing a tan, toned chest. I exhale breathlessly and his lips connect with my neck, kissing softly as his hands work their magic on the clasp of my pink full coverage bra. Before I know it, the garments falls to the floor.

"You're so beautiful..." Austin whispers as his lips trail down my neck and in between my breasts.

My eyes close and roll back into my head just slightly. "Austin..." is all I can manage in reply. My hands roam his smooth, muscular back while his lips find my nipple. He glances up at me as he wraps his pink lips around my hard nipple. He begins kissing and licking, and any trace of inhibition I'd harbored is erased; I'm focused on Austin and Austin alone.

His eyes fall closed and his skilled lips continue sucking and biting. He presses his lips tight to my pink nipple, moving his head in closer. His teeth pull at my skin, and I arch my back, getting caught somewhere between pain and pleasure. Austin Moon does not take it easy.

His sizzling-hot mouth moves up to meet mine in a fiery kiss. Moans escape, hands roam, buttons are fumbled with. He pulls me out of my white denim shorts, leaving me in nothing but small, lacy pink panties. Damn, I'm glad I wore pretty underwear.

I reach down and attempt to undo the button of his shorts, but I'm lost. I'm lost in kissing Austin, and my hands forget how to work. Austin becomes impatient and rips off his shorts and his navy blue boxer briefs. I moan at the sight of him; I've done my share of staring and imagining, but he's _huge_.

"Ohhh..." I moan softly as I feel the warmth of his erection pressed against my thigh. He smirks and lays me down, him on top. He moves down my body, kissing around my breasts, down my stomach, and proceeds to pull my underwear off with his teeth.

"Austin..." I breathe. I can feel the scratchy blonde stubble on his chin as he moves down my legs. I watch him as he moves slowly, but still with an animal-like quality about him.

"Your body..." he whispers as his hands run up the length of my legs. He slips his hands between my thighs, then slides them up around the epicenter of my passionate aches.

_"Ohh..."_ I groan. He moves his face closer to my warm, slick enterance, his full lips parted slightly, his hands on my hips for support...

Then he stops.

"Don't stop, don'tstopdon'tstop..." I slur breathlessly as he grins evilly.

"Tell you what," he whispers, and his warm breath hits my wet enterance, causing me to shiver. "I'll give it to you if you give it to me first."

I nod and he goes to stand with his back against the wall. I slowly drop to my knees in front of him, drinking in every inch of smooth, tan skin. My hands clasp around the base of his lengthy erection and my lips part softly. I press a few teasing kissing and coy licks against the head before I open my mouth and allow him enterance.

"Ally..." he whispers, and it feels so good to hear him moan my name. His hands lace into my hair and he guides my head, pushing my lips further down onto his aching boner. I close my eyes and I'm consumed by how _massive_ he is; his soft moans keep coming as my tongue swirls around the tip and my hands wrap around the base. My name falls from my lips as I bite his length teasingly.

I remove my lips from his swollen member. "Your turn," I whisper as I lay on the bed and part my legs to allow him access to my soft pink folds. He dives in, quick fingers pushing into my enterance. I moan.

"You're so wet," he remarks quietly as he adds another finger. I release a low groan and grip the bed sheets.

He pulls his fingers out in favor of his mouth. He plants hot, sizzling kisses against my enterance before sliding his tongue inside. My hands tighten their grip on the handfuls of sheets. I move a hand into his hair and buck my hips slowly, guiding his head in rythem.

"Austin...Austin..." I whisper pleadingly. His eyes glance up to meet mine and I know we have the same idea. He pulls his lips - now pink and swollen - away from my aching center and slides up my body until his lips meet mine. He sedates me with a fierce kiss before he lines his hips up with mine. He reaches a hand down to open up my enterance, and then-

"Ohhhh..."

I moan softly as the tip of his erection slips into my opening. Austin's eyes are locked on me as he thrusts slowly, more of his lengthy disappearing into me with each move of his hips. His strong hands are around my waist, bracing himself and holding me down. He smirks and quickens the pace of his thrusts.

"Fuck..." he curses softly as I take on more of him faster. I try to hold in a scream, but it slips out of my mouth. He leans down and locks his warm lips with mine, and I can taste sex on his lips. His thrusts remain clean and complete as his tongue enters my mouth.

"Austin, I'm - oh, I'm so..." I mumble through the kiss. He nods and moans.

"Cum for me," he urges in a low voice. I scream, writhing and moaning beneath him, as I am pushed over the edge. Moments later, he reaches his breaking point, shooting his load into me and over my legs.

Lazy touching and desperate breathing follow as we come down. He holds me to his still-naked body and I take note of how the only thing I'm wearing is two coats of rose-pink nail polish. I smile.

"What are you smiling about?" he asks softly. He's back to being his sweet, normal Austin self.

"Nothing," I whisper as I kiss him. "You were amazing," I add.

He grins. "So were you. You've got such a great body," he muses, running a lazy hand down my side.

"Thanks," I whisper, allowing him to hold me closer.

"I love you," he states.

I smile. "I love you too."

And just like that we're asleep.


	11. A Stuffed Monkey

_Oh my god she's so annoying._

_The stage fright is all an act. ATTENTION WHORE!_

_Austin doesn't even need her. She's a total nobody._

I'm sitting in the practice room on my laptop reading the comments on one of Austin's new videos. And for some reason, most of the comments are about me. And not in a good way.

Am I really that annoying? I don't know what I've done to be annoying to these strangers.

An attention whore? I _hate_ attention, I have stage fright, dammit! That one doesn't even make sense.

Of course Austin needs me to write songs for him! And I'm not a nobody. People listen to Austin's stuff all the time, so they're listening to my stuff. They just kinda don't know it.

I browse through a few more comments before shutting my laptop and pulling a blanket over myself. I am curled up on the floor in the far corner of the room willing myself not to cry. But I do. Tears stream quietly down my face. People hate me. It's just a fact. Whatever I do, something will be wrong with it. I'm never good enough for anyone.

I hear the door open and it startles me. I see Austin looking over at me. "What's wrong, Ally?" he asks softly, walking over to me. I brush stray tears off my cheeks.

"I...I just..." My words trail off and Austin sits next to me, wrapping his arms around my body.

"Shh..." he soothes quietly as I cry into his strong shoulder. I take in a slow, steadying breath, and I smell his sweet cologne.

"What happened, baby?" he asks softly. His warm hands rub my back and I just want to melt into his chest. I sigh.

"I was reading comments on the website, and people wrote a ton of negative things about me," I confess.

I feel Austin shake his head. "Why would you listen to any of those stupid people on the Internet, Als? You know I think you're perfect, just the way you are..." he assures me quietly as his arms wrap tighter around me.

"You may think I'm perfect, but no one else does. Everyone else hates me. They said I was an annoying attention whore and a nobody." I bury my face in his chest, but he tilts my chin gently so he can look into my eyes.

"You are not any of those things. You're my Ally. You're smart, beautiful, talented, creative, and everyone can see that you're something special. I love you, okay? Anyone who criticizes you is just jealous of you. They don't matter. _You_ matter, Ally. You're everything to me."

It's crazy. It's literally crazy how perfect he is.

"Thank you, Austin..." I whisper as I wrap my arms around him. He lays a soft kiss on my cheek.

"I mean it, honey. You're an amazing person. I love you." That last part sends a little chill down my spine. I smile.

"I love you too, Austin," I reply. He gets up and walks over to the other side of the room. "Where are you going?" I ask.

He smiles. "Just grabbing something," he replies. He turns around and he's holding a little stuffed monkey. It's blue and fuzzy and has a strange but genuine smile on its face.

"This," Austin explains, "is Señior Mister Fuzzy Pants The Third. He likes giving hugs and seeing pretty girls be happy." He places the monkey against my chest with the tiny arms wrapped around my neck in a hug. I can't help but smile and laugh at Austin's innocent sweetness and genuine care.

"Thank you, Austin. That...weirdly helped," I say with a smile. He grins and leans down to peck my lips.

"Don't let haters on the Internet affect you, honey. You're amazing. Don't ever forget it."

I nod and he presses a soft kiss against my cheek. I realize I'm still holding the blue stuffed monkey. "Can I keep him?" I ask Austin jokingly. He laughs.

"Of course you can keep him. Just give him a hug whenever you feel sad. Okay?" I grin and nod assuringly.

"Good," he replies, "now kiss me." He leans down and plants sweet pecking kisses over my smiling mouth.

Oh Austin. He always knows what to say.


	12. A Birthday Candle

"I have a surprise for you," Austin insists as he drags me through the hallways of Marino High. I giggle.

"What's the surprise?" I ask incredulously as his hand wraps tighter around my wrist.

He looks over his shoulder at me. "Well if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?" he points out with a wide grin. I roll my eyes and follow him.

We run through more hallways until we reach the music wing. He leads me into one of the tiny sound-proof practice rooms in the hallway behind the choir room. "Where are you taking me?" I ask again. He grins and opens the door on one of the practice rooms.

"Ta-da!" Austin exclaims. In one of the practice rooms, he's set up a little makeshift music stand table and two chairs. On the table there is a plate of clearly home-made cupcakes with little candles in them. I erupt into a smile.

"What's all this?" I ask incredulously, admiring his preparation. His arms wrap around me.

"Happy Birthday, Ally," he says with a grin, like my birthday is the single most wonderful thing to ever happen to the human race. I hug him tightly. He walks over and pulls a chair out for me, and I sit down.

"Make a wish," he whispers as he sits across from me.

"You're going to get suspended for having fire in school," I chide, folding my arms across my chest. He rolls his eyes.

"Sorry, Principal Ally, I was just trying to surprise you," he defends lightly.

"Do you have matches?"

"Ally-"

"A lighter?"

"That's not-"

_"Do you have a lighter on you right now?"_

"Please just make a wish."

"Fine," I succumb, turning my attention to the plate of cupcakes in front of me. I close my eyes and take a moment to ponder about what to wish for. World peace, health, and success for Sonic Boom all occur to me. But Austin pops into my head, and I don't really put it into words, but I wish for the general idea of Austin.

I blow out the candles, getting them all on the first try. Austin applauds me and smiles. "Double chocolate, your favorite. Made with care by your wonderful boyfriend," Austin explains as he grabs a cupcake off the plate. He pulls the candle out and licks the frosting off the bottom of the candle before digging into the cupcake.

I smile at him and take a cupcake. I'm peeling the wrapper off when I look up and notice him smiling at me. "What?" I ask playfully with a wide smile. He shakes his head.

"You're really beautiful, you know that?" he asks. I grin.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too." He leans over and gives me a chocolate frosting kiss.

I slip the birthday candle into my pocket when he's not looking. Because I really do appreciate his little surprise party. It's so Austin, with his quirky and personalized brand of sweetness. Austin makes me feel like I matter, and that's a wonderful thing.


	13. A Roll of Glow Tape

"I can't do this."

Austin and I are standing behind the makeshift stage in the food court of the mall. We're about to perform out duet, "You Can Come To Me", for the Saturday evening crowd. But I'm _way_ too nervous.

"Ally, you'll be fine. You're amazing, and even if you get nervous, I'll be right up there with you," Austin soothes, rubbing my back with his hand. I sigh.

"I'm just...scared," I admit quietly.

He wraps his arms around me and exhales through his nose. "Ally, you'll do fine. I promise," he says.

I shake my head. "Feel my heart beat, it's going so fast," I pant, grabbing his hand and placing it on my chest.

He nods. "Ally, that's natural. Everyone gets nervous. I still get nervous sometimes. Don't worry about it," he insists. I shake my head.

"Austin, I don't feel right at all..." I warn, my face twisted down into worry and fear. Austin removes his arms from my waist, closes his eyes, and runs his hand through his blonde hair.

"Ally, please, just...let it go..." His voice is annoyed and almost angry.

"What's the matter?" I ask, my eyebrows furrowed downward. He takes a step back from me.

"You know what, Ally, I could ask you the same damn question," he spits. The words come like fire.

"What are you talking about?" My voice is somewhere between offended and aggravated.

He shakes his head and smiles, but it's a mean smile. "You just can't fucking get over your stage fright! And then you constantly expect me to comfort you about it but lately, I don't know what the hell to say! It's exhausting, okay?!" He jams his mic into the stand.

I'm dumbfounded. "That's how you feel about me? Is that all I am to you, exhausting?" I yell.

He spits an evil laugh. "You just fucking baffle me! You bitch and moan about stage fright but then you go out and do fine every single time! It's so stupid! I spend all this time consoling you but it's pointless!" he yells.

"Well if it's so pointless then why don't you just stop?!" I cry. Hot, angry tears burn in the backs of my eyeballs. I never knew Austin felt this way. All the support he's given me was fake!

"Maybe I will! I can sing this fucking song without you!" Austin yells. He picks up a roll of yellow glow tape that we used to mark where the piano should go on the stage. And he throws it at my head.

It hits me square in the temple, and I can instantly tell it will bruise. My jaw drops and my hand flies up to console my aching head. "Austin!" I scream. I'm dizzy. I'm swallowing mouthfuls of anger. I teeter over and pick up the roll of tape and hurl it at his head. My aim fails me, and the tape barely grazes his arm. A maniacal laugh rips from his throat.

"Don't even try, Ally," he advises. His voice is sinister. He shakes his head before picking up the roll of glow tape and launching it into my stomach. Hot tears sting my eyes. I pick up the roll of tape and hold it, staring at him.

"You're a monster, Austin," I add, my voice quieter than I wanted it to be. He shakes his head.

"Well, you're a bitch," he replies confidently. I visibly flinch.

"I can't believe you. I can't believe I dated you, I can't believe I had sex with you, and I can't believe I loved you!" I turn on my heel and run as fast as I can.

How could Austin be so mean to me? Tears stream down my face. I don't stop running until I get home. I throw open the door and run up to my room. I can hear y dad asking what's wrong, but I don't want to talk. I can't. It isn't until I slam my bedroom door shut that I realize I'm still clutching the roll of glow tape, the edges digging red lines into my skin. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and I'm not myself. I'm a bitch and I'm stage fright and I'm exhausting. So I close my hand around the roll of tape and hurl it as hard as I can at the reflection of the girl who isn't good enough.


	14. Lip Gloss

**A/N: Updating from an airport gate. Won't be posting for the next 10ish days because I'll be on vacation. As always, thanks for reading! :) **

* * *

It's been three days.

It's been three days since Austin told me off before our gig. I guess he ended up going on without me, but that's just what I heard. I didn't exactly stick around to watch.

God, he was so mean. I still can't get over it. Yelling, swearing, throwing things. I've never seen that side of Austin before. And I don't like it.

I'm in my living room sorting through song lyrics. When I have writer's block, I like to cut all the parts of the song up and physically rearrange them. It helps me think. I'm sitting on the floor surrounded by paper when I hear the doorbell ring.

I'm home alone, so I cautiously look through the peephole before opening the door.

It's Austin.

I hesitate for a moment. This is the Austin that was backstage with me a week ago. The one who screamed at me, hitting where it hurt most. Mocking things about me that weren't my fault.

But this is also the Austin that made love to me, the one who's comforted me countless times, the one I fell in love with. So I open the door.

"What?" I ask, my tone somewhere between defensive and defeated. He sighs.

"I'm sorry, Ally. I'm sorry for everything I said, and everything I did. I'm sorry I hurt you feeling and was an asshole to you. I wanted to bring this back to you." He holds out a tube of sparkly pink lip gloss.

"What's this?" I ask softly. He shakes his head.

"You left it backstage on...on Saturday..." He trails off, like Saturday is a curse.

He presses the lip gloss into my hand, and I don't really know what to think. I'm trying to think, trying to organize my thoughts, and it slips out. "Austin, I'm not going to take you back..."

His face drops. Not that it wasn't completely moribund before. "What?" he asks softly, and it occurs to me that I'm probably breaking his heart. I shake y head as I feel tears coming on.

"Look, we have fun together, and you're nice to me, but on a deeper level, I...I really don't think I love you, and I don't think you love me." What the hell was coming out of my mouth? Was this even me? Did I even feel this way?

Austin is dumbfounded. "But I do love you, Ally," he defends quietly. I take a deep breath.

"I don't think you mean that. Like I said, we have a good time together and share a few common interests, but we don't really connect on an emotional level. We're just too different." It's coming. I feel it. The nagging in the back of her mind that I've felt for months, but never put into words, not even for myself. I feel it all escaping me.

Austin starts pacing on the porch like he can't believe what's happening. "All this because we had one fight? You're going to break up with me because of one fight?! Really, Ally?! I'd never do this to you!" He's hurt, that's clear, and I'm starting to feel guilty. But I hold it together.

"It wasn't just the fight, Austin. I've felt this for a while now. I'm sorry. It's over."

_It shouldn't be this easy, I_ think to myself, even though this is far from easy for Austin. His face goes through a slideshow of emotions, some I can't even name, until he finally rests in resignation. "Okay," he says softly. He takes a step closer and opens his arms timidly, and I allow him to fall into me. His hand finds its way to the back of my neck and he holds me like he _needs_ to, like I'm the only thing left.

"Ally?" he whispers, pulling away just enough so he can look into my eyes.

"Hmm?" I ask. My hand rubs up and down his arm softly.

"Can we make love one more time?" He looks so sad. I know that connecting that way will probably only make it harder, but if it's what he wants now, I'm willing to do it. I nod softly and let him come in. When we used to have sex, he'd be eager to push me against the closed door, kissing me like crazy. But he's not doing any of that. We calmly walk up to my room, and he's taking it slow, like he's dragging it out because we both know it'll be the last time. It's like he isn't the least bit concerned with himself or his own body, he just needs mine. He kisses me a lot, and I kiss him back. It feels so different. It feels so over. He's so sad, almost angry, but he's still just as sweet and gentle with me.

When we finish, I lay with him. His arms wrap around me and his lips find their way around my body. He's still a great kisser.

"Thank you," he whispers softly, laying to rest next to me. I look over at him gently.

"You okay?" I ask. He hesitates for a moment, then nods. His arms wrap tighter around me and we just lay there.

As I'm getting dressed, the tube of lip gloss that he returned to me falls out of my pocket, and it reminds me again of what's happening, and why. I want to cry right there. Austin stands behind me and places his hands on my waist.

"You're a really good girl," he admits genuinely. I turn around to look at him. I mean to say something, but nothing comes out. I give him a tight hug and a peck on the cheek. I feel better. I feel like I might be okay.

I walk Austin downstairs, where we try to say goodbye, but end up going in for one last kiss, a steamy one that leaves me pressed against the door and almost ready to go back upstairs. But we pull ourselves apart and collect ourselves. He says a quiet goodbye and leaves.

As he leaves, Ally realizes something. She shouldn't be so focused on boyfriends and boys. She needs to focus on herself. She needs to start learning for herself, thinking for herself, becoming her own person. Austin starts his car and pulls out of the driveway, and it's then that Ally finally feels like herself.


	15. A Luggage Tag

**A/N: Hello darlings. **

**THIS WILL BE THE LAST CHAPTER OF ALMOST NEVER ALWAYS!**

**Thanks for reading, everyone. I'm sorry my updating has been so sporadic, I promise that will change. I'm starting a new series that I'm VERY excited about. Also, if anyone has stories they think I should read, leave a review telling me about them. I want to read more people's stuff. Anyways, thanks everyone!**

* * *

All I could say was that it was about damn time.

I had the tickets for months, two of them, but I hadn't used them. See, going to Disney World with Austin would've been fun, but every time I proposed the idea, something came up. It was usually on Austin's end.

But now I was done with Austin, and I wanted to go with Trish. Trish had been my best friend since kindergarten. I decided that what I really needed was to get away for the weekend with someone I knew would never leave my side.

"Wow, Ally, I'm actually surprised that you sprung for flying to Orlando," Trish remarks as she shoves her glittery carry-on bag into the overhead compartment. I grin.

"I wasn't about to drive four hours to get to Disney World, Trish. I want us to get the most out of this as we possibly can," I explain as I shove my purse into the overhead compartment. I tuck my songbook and my iPhone into the seat pocket before taking my seat next to Trish.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Trish asks a little abruptly. I know she's talking about Austin. It's only been a few days since Austin came over and we saw each other for the last time. Since we decided that we were really over.

"I'm fine," I reply, pulling out of my daze, "I promise. Austin isn't even a concern of mine anymore."

Trish gives a pleased smile. "Good for you, Ally! You don't need a man to be happy," Trish praises as she reclines her seat. I smile; it's true. Austin was fun to be with, but honestly, he was more trouble than he was worth at times.

I take my phone out of the seat pocket to switch it to airplane mode when it rings in my hands. It's Austin. I have a quick debate with myself before deciding to pick up.

"Hello?" I answer, almost in a whisper. I don't want to disturb everyone on the plane. Or worse, I didn't want Trish to catch me talking to Austin.

"Hey, Ally, I wanted to talk to you...look, I know what I said. I-I know I said we'd be over, and this would be over, but I wanted to tell you that I don't want to just stop talking to you altogether..."

He's rambling. And it's kind of pathetic. I grin.

"Listen, Austin, I'm just boarding a flight now, so I don't have much time. But I glad you called, because I think you deserve to know that it really is over, and there's nothing I can do. See, I...I thought you were the best thing for me, and I thought you mattered a lot to me, but as it turns out, I'm just fine without you. _Better_ without you, really. So if you could do me a favor and not call again, that'd be great. Thanks."

I never get to hear what Austin says in response, because I hang up. As soon as I end the call, I delete his number.

Trish is staring at me with the weirdest, proudest grin plastered on her face. I smile back. She offers a hi-five and I slap her hand.

"Nice going," she praises.

"Thanks," I whisper. The pilot announces that we're almost ready to take off, and that's exactly how I feel. Like I'm ready to fly. I feel more myself now, without Austin to define me. I can work on my music. I have more time to be with my girlfriends. And I can also make out with whoever the hell I want. The plane starts to push back, and I smile wildly at the sensation of free fall. I'm ready now, for whatever happens next.


End file.
